Quote:
Originally Posted by Guitar Hack
I did a search of the Mahogany issue. Mahogany is really several species of wood. 3 are in the Americas and there are several in Africa and indonesia. Though all are called mahogany they really aren't the same species alway. The American Mahoganies are all related to each other. They African mahoganies are related to each other but not to American Mahoganies. Some of the species are considered endangered in the American Species.
When you see mahogany is endangered it may only be a couple species and not the entire mahogany population types.
For Rosewood see below: http://www.easttexaswoodturners.org/wood-ROSEWOOD.htm
"Although the supplies of many valuable and prestigious tropical woods are declining at an alarming rate, the outlook for virtually all of the rosewoods is especially bleak. The highly selected and vividly pigmented heartwood of these species comes from only the most mature trees…in fact the color doesn’t seem to fully materialize until the tree actually starts to decline into decrepitude. Also, many of the better known rosewoods, such as those from Brazil and India are native to coastal forests where high human populations over literally centuries have heavily exploited the resource and where land is now too valuable for raising food crops to be dedicated to reforestation projects. As remaining stands of these timbers are harvested there is little likelihood they will be replenished in the near term…if ever." |
Mahogany as we know it is swietenia macrophylla (Honduran Mahogany) and Cuban Mahogany is swietenia microphylla. Swietenia's are the "true" mahoganies.
Sapele and African Mahogany are Mahogany "like" woods. They are both decent tonewoods, but not true mahogany.
In terms of what the big manufacturers do... I think you will see a shift of the lower price guitars moving to the African substitutes, but the higher priced guitars and the hand builts will have mahogany for as long as any of us care to worry about it. There is quite a bit of lumber around still, and if and when that can't be exported there are plenty of old bars and old furniture that can be "reclaimed".
I think the most noticable difference a mahogany shortage will produce is in neck stock. I think you will see lots more scarfed head stock joints (which are better anyway) and perhaps a shift to more plentiful materials. Neck stock has been skyrocketing in recent years. It is very hard to find clear honduran mahogany in 12/4 or 16/4.